Charlottesville, Va. – United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh released the following statement marking five years since the Unite the Right riots that occurred on August 11-12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia:
“Five years ago, the city of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia were overwhelmed by a group of white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Across the country, people watched in shock as hate-filled violence erupted on the streets of our city. At the end of the day, Heather Heyer, a resident of Charlottesville, was killed and at least 30 other protesters were seriously injured in a senseless mass-vehicle attack. Virginia State Police Lieutenant Pilot Jay Cullen and Trooper Pilot Berke M. Bates tragically lost their lives while conducting an aerial surveillance which later proved pivotal to a Justice Department investigation. Dozens of others were injured, physically and psychologically, and many are still feeling the effects to this day.
The United States Department of Justice joins the Charlottesville community in remembering and honoring those who suffered as a result of that weekend‘s events. This five-year anniversary is a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do in the area of fighting hate crimes and domestic terrorism, both of which remain top priorities for the Department of Justice. My office will continue to hold accountable anyone involved in violence motivated by racism, bigotry or other forms of hatred.”
